The letter she gets changes her life in ways she can’t believe. At 18, Lyssa’s days are pretty normal. Get up, eat, and stress about what’s next. Lyssa’s friends know where they’re going to school and she’s desperate to go to university. The only acceptance letter she gets seems like a cruel joke. What is the Dragondale Academy of Druidic Magic? It can’t be real. At Dragondale, they take only the brightest students with the most potential. She doesn’t fit in at all, but does make two friends, Sam and Kelsey. They make life at school better. Lyssa is determined to prove herself. It won’t be easy. As she learns about her powers, a few oddities catch her eye. Where does Kelsey keep disappearing to? What’s going on with the cat who’s always hanging around? There’s one secret, though, she can’t figure out. Why does it seem that the professors are hiding something? You’ll love this Academy fantasy, because of the twist, turns, and magical surprises. Get it now.

    Investigate previous and current policies designed to help close the achievement gap. Examine predominant mindsets that contradict school missions to promote equal academic opportunities, and consider the psychological impact this has on students. Explore strategies for adopting a new mindset that frees educators and students from negative academic performance expectations.

    Vienna is sick of her bloodthirsty, throne-stealing parents. So when she's Chosen by an advanced academy she's never heard of, she thanks the gods above. When she realizes the school isn't supposed to exist, and that it's in fae territory...Well... bring it on.--Tavi is oath-sworn to keep his powers secret. And for most of his life, he's done so.But once the Carthian Princess invades his world, the walls he's built so high begin to crumble.Vienna is reckless, and trouble clings to her like perfume. No sooner does she arrive at the Fae Academy than a cloud of darkness threatens to sweep them all away.If not for her stubborn spirit, battle skills, and a group of powerful new friends, she wouldn't stand a chance.--This is Book 1 of a complete series (trilogy). This story is full of friendship, epic adventure, and the trials of finding your true self - a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers academy fantasy for young adult & new adult readers. Includes some adult language and intimate scenes later on in the series.

    This was the law in Japan in the early 1800s. When fourteen-year-old Manjiro, working on a fishing boat to help support his family, was shipwrecked three hundred miles away from his homeland, he was heartbroken to think that he would never again be able to go home. So when an American whaling boat rescued him, Manjiro decided to do what no other Japanese person had ever done: He went to America, where he received an education and took part in events that eventually made him a hero in the Land of the Rising Sun.NOTE: Blumberg's "Commodore Perry in the land of the Shogun" is a companion volume.

    Keeping the strange Mystic Academy a secret within her prep school was the second. Competing against the strongest student, Dom, a stunning boy with a dark secret, was the unexpected twist.FIRST PROJECT: Explore Hell's Gates.Brynn must learn how to use her psychic gifts in time to uncover the mystery of a local urban legend. The town woods behind her school is where children become lost with no memory of where they'd gone, and its tales of burned witches smother the town in shame.Can this ancient myth be debunked, while fighting the maddening distraction of Dom, in time for the project deadline? Or will the sinister truth hidden within legend awaken, creating unhinged chaos within the academy? One-click to start the epic adventure of the Urban Mystic Academy: First Project.

    "Because all levels of society hated us we created a new society of hatred symbolised by the bulldog. Its ferocious habits were engraved on our hearts," Tuhoe says, "If you weren't a mobster you weren't worth knowing." He lived this way for 17 years.However, constantly living for the bash, beer, prison and the possibility of dying in a pool of blood eventually saw Tuhoe search for another way of doing life. Leaving the Mob was hard. Not only did he face the rejection of his own and the fierce judgemental prejudices of mainstream society, but with the awakening of his conscience came the realisation of a past filled with inflicting pain on others besides himself, and of a life devoid of any sense of love or hope. This led him down a path of confession, forgiveness and reconciliation.True Red is the essential biography of one man's fascinating journey from the realm of darkness into the world of light.

    strategic defense. Ninety percent of all U.S. military forces in Japan are located on Okinawa, one of the Ryukyu Islands, and it was through these troops that the martial art of karate was exported to the U.S.In Okinawa: History of an Island People, noted Eastern affairs specialist George Kerr recounts the fascinating history of the island and its environs, from 1314 A.D. to the late twentieth century. The histories of Japan, Okinawa and the entire Pacific region are crucially intertwined so the study of this fascinating chain of islands is crucial to understanding all of East Asia. First published in 1958, this edition features a new introduction and appendix by Okinawa history scholar Mitsugu Sakihara, making this the most comprehensive resource on the small, vital, and intriguing island of Okinawa.

    It is possible to read Japanese knowing only a limited number of kanji, but it is not possible with only a limited number of katakana or hiragana-one must know all of them. Let's Learn Hiragana, and its companion volume Let's Learn Katakana, is a textbook that introduces the learner to the basics of one of these fundamental Japanese scripts. Being a workbook, it contains all the exercises that allow the student to master hiragana by the time the book has been finished. Let's Learn Hiragana is a classic in the field, and the huge number of students that have used it successfully is a sign of its preeminence as a self-study guide.

    Through richly detailed vignettes--by turns bitter, funny, and inspiring--he offers a stunning panorama of a neglected part of American history. 16 pages of photographs.

    Fans who politely return foul balls. This witty and incisive book by the author of the acclaimed The Chrysanthemum and the Bat gives us an unprecedented look at Japanese baseball, as seen by baffled Americans from Babe Ruth to Willie Smith. Black-and-white photographs.

    Real world examples of what to expect at: the bank, the grocery store, the restaurant, the restroom, when driving, and more. The book is written in a lighthearted, humorous way and answers questions such as: – What are 3 things you can do as a customer at a bank in the U.S. that you will get your hand slapped for in Costa Rica? – What app would a wise person visiting Costa Rica put on their cell phone for use in the restroom? – What is considered rude in a U.S. restaurant but is a necessity to ensure you get to enjoy a hot entrée in Costa Rica? These observations and over 100 more (yes, there are some extras thrown in) are covered to help you get the most out of your visit or move to Costa Rica. No one famous ever said: “I look forward to a day when books are not judged by the number of characters in their content, but the content of those characters.” But they should have. Living in and Vistiting Costa Rica is comprised of just over 31,000 words that will positively impact your research of Costa Rica, whether you are a tourist or a potential expat.

    Budo Secrets contains the essential teachings of budo's greatest masters of Kendo, Karate, Judo, Aikido, and other disciplines. Timely and instructive, these writings are not just for martial artists—they're for anyone who wants to live life more courageously, with a greater sense of personal confidence and self-control, and with a deeper understanding of others. John Stevens has gathered an eclectic and historically rich collection of teachings that include principles and practice guidelines from training manuals and transmission scrolls, excerpts of texts on budo philosophy, and instructional tales gathered from a number of sources. Since many of the martial arts masters were also fine painters and calligraphers and used brush and ink as a teaching medium, Stevens has included their artwork throughout with explanation and commentary.

    The secret informant is Reiko Watanabe, geisha mistress to the plot’s mastermind.Headstrong and outspoken, Reiko prefers a “modern” life to being a geisha and is horrified that her lover, the American-educated descendant of samurai, Masaru Ryusaki, has become a fascist firebrand. Together with his allies in the Imperial Army, Ryusaki plans to overthrow the civilian government and establish a military dictatorship.Torn between honor and duty, Reiko and Inspector Aizawa must forge an unlikely alliance in order to stay one step ahead of Ryusaki and a fanatical Army officer. All the while, they uncover a shadowy conspiracy that reaches into the upper echelons of government, international finance, and even around the Imperial Throne itself.Set during the intersection of the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and the Great Depression, Shadows of Tokyo brings the turbulent and dangerous world of prewar Japan to vivid life.Shadows of Tokyo is the first book in a noir historical thriller series set in pre-World War II Japan.

    The samurai emerged as a warrior caste in medieval Japan and would have a powerful influence on the history and culture of the country for the next 500 years.

    A missions "must-read"!